Can you catch a shiny Meltan in Pokémon Go?

Meltan is a mythical Pokémon, and it can appear in Pokémon Go. However, it’s a Pokémon that does not appear too often in the game, and when it does, all players have a limited time to try tracking it down to add it to their collection. Catching this Pokémon during specific times can be tough, but it can be immensely rewarding. Because it can only appear every so often, can you expect to catch a shiny Meltan in Pokémon Go?

Does Meltan have a shiny version in Pokémon Go?

We can confirm that Meltan does have a shiny version in Pokémon Go. There’s a chance that when you catch this Pokémon, it might appear as this shiny version. You’ll know you’ve encountered the shiny Meltan if you see a sparkling animation on your screen and the distinct shiny logo on the top-right of the Pokémon’s name when attempting to catch it. Unfortunately, like every shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Go, it is rare to encounter these Pokémon, and even more difficult for the legendary and mythical Pokémon.

Related: How to catch Meltan in Pokémon Go

The only way to encounter a Meltan is through Mystery Boxes. You can acquire Mystery Boxes during specific times, and they appear as a reward after trading a Pokémon you caught in Pokémon Go to your Pokémon Home, or your Nintendo Switch to Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! or Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! copies. You can make a free Pokémon Home account to trade with your Pokémon Go profile if you do not own a Nintendo Switch or you do not own one of the two Let’s Go games.

There’s a chance to encounter a shiny Meltan, but it is not guaranteed, like every shiny that spawns in Pokémon Go. You also, unfortunately, cannot trade Meltan with other players, which means if a friend has two shiny Meltans, they cannot trade you their spare.